How To Hit The Ball Dead Straight

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How To Hit The Ball Dead Straight

A lot of club golfers would start to hit straighter drives more regularly if they could just understand and rehearse the fundamentals. It may be hard to swing the club like a world class professional, but there’s no excuse for not being able to demonstrate the perfect driver address position. In the video and article below, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Dan Grieve explains how to nail the basics. If you don’t get this right, it’s very difficult to swing the club as you should.

One of the most common faults that I see is the ball too far forward – so it’s outside the front foot. As a result, the chest starts to face the ball and the shoulders get into an open position. For me, as a right-hander, that’s my shoulders pointing too far to the left. From here, I’m more likely to pick the club up and back across – which will lead to a slice. For a driver, I recommend lining the ball up on your left heel (for a right-handed golfer).

It’s crucial to line your shaft up parallel, so it’s in line with the back of the ball. We don’t want the hands too far forward and we don’t want them too far back. You want to feel like your right elbow is tucked in and your right shoulder comes back.

On the range, or out on the course when you’re practising, get into the habit of laying a rod or shaft across your shoulders. If it’s pointing parallel to your target, you’re in alignment. Note how my right shoulder – as a result of getting the ball position correct, and by adopting a nice wide stance – is lower than the left, which is going to help me to hit up on the ball and sweep it away. It should all lead to a nice balanced finish with your chest facing your target.   

Finally, remember to relax. A lot of higher handicap players grip the golf club too tightly and get very rigid over the ball. Make sure the hands hang nice and relaxed for greater flow and release. These tips will also help anyone struggling with how to avoid creating too much spin with your driver.